How to Organize Coupons
Are you looking for a way to organize your coupons? Perhaps your current method is too time-consuming or you just haven’t found the “perfect” method yet.
You are already familiar with my binder method, and I also use a Couponizer for convenience. I have tried a few methods and this just seems to work for me. I don’t expect it to work for everyone though!
I turned to Facebook and asked readers to share their coupon organization methods and I have to say – I am so impressed! There are some really great ways to organize, and some of them I have never seen before!
I’m going to be sharing their methods over the next few days, so if you are looking for a coupon organization method, I hope you will be inspired by these posts!
- The Binder Method
- The Hybrid Method
- The File Box
- The Scrapbook Album
- The Mega Coupon Bag
- The Day Planner
- The Couponizer
- The Coupon Clutch
If you have a unique coupon organization method to share, send me an email and your method could be featured here as well!
37 Comments
Briana Carter via Facebook
Great tips! I struggle with this!
Jen Thrifty Nwmom via Facebook
Thanks for all these ideas – different methods definitely work for different times in your life! I’ve used several different ways at various times depending on my schedule
Chenea Foster via Facebook
Looks like you’re pretty organized. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Phoebe Hendricks via Facebook
Love this! I’m always looking to improve on my own method, thanks for sharing!
Briana Carter via Facebook
Great tips!
Jill Keogh Craft via Facebook
So many different ways to organize! Thanks for sharing!
Debra
I have couponing for a few months and have been pretty successful if I can toot my own horn (just a little).
I use a plactic CD storage case. I then used scrap paper and wrote A-Z on the left top corner. I then paper clip like coupons (coffee, deoderant, laundry, makeup, etc.) In the X slot I put extra savings such as fast food coupons. and in the Z slot I put store specific coupons that are not my food stores.
I clip/purge on sundays after church and search the new circulars. We plan our meals, then plan for shopping and which ways between stores we can get better deals.
This is one of the only times my husband enjoys my OCD…lol.
Meagan
Ha ha! That’s great!! 🙂
Pingback: How to Coupon with links and sites to help you get started saving!
Nicole
Im new to couponing and this has helped me find ideas to organize my coupons. I will give each idea a try to see which best fits me Thank you all..
Krista Voyce via Facebook
I’ve been couponing for years. I’ve done the file accordian folders to baseball card holders. My wonderful husband found this organizing system (gave as a present) and its been my best method to organize yet! Takes me about 20 mins each Sunday to pull out expired and insert the new. http://mrsascouponorganizer.com/
Priscilla robinson
I’m relatively new to couponing and I use a small accordian file that I keep in my purse. I organize by baby, breakfast, beverage, frozen, canned, ect. Everything that doesn’t fit into a specific category is put into the snacks section.
Theresa Brown via Facebook
I have a binder that is separated into groups like frozen foods, dairy, snacks, beverages, staples (baking and others), paper and household (like paper towels, cleaners, dishwashing soap, etc.), pet, laundry and health and beauty. I use the binder sheets that have three openings. The coupons are easy to reach and easy to pull out. At the end of the month, I purge my binder of expired coupons and send them to the military troops (they can use expired coupons 6 months past the expiration date.)
Suzanne Verdon via Facebook
I take my sunday inserts and staple all like pages together then cut them out. I have them in a plastic shoebox in alphabetical order under categories. Works very well and I can see everything w/ out using a binder and can purge easily when things start to expire.
Teraisa
Thank you for the tips and advice. I go through spurts of using coupons… now that our family is a lot smaller, I find it EASIER to use them and to actually have a bit of time to prepare for a shopping trip. Hopefully soon, I’ll need to get organized.
Sheri
Great tips, thank you. I use envelopes and write the coupon category with a sharpie on the outside (as someone else also mentioned). This has worked for me so far, and I don’t feel the need to purchase anything. I then just write my plan for each store on a piece of paper and transfer those coupons for that store trip to separate envelopes labeled by store and transaction (CVS Trans #1, CVS #2, etc). This helps guide me in the store. I’m not a hardcore couponer – just getting the hang of it and starting off small! It can be overwhelming!!
Carol Esther
Sorry, I meant to say one of these DAYS that will be me!
Carol Esther
Wow, I love the ideas you all have posted. I’m new to couponing, and I need a way to be organized with my coupons, instead of throwing them all in an envelope in my purse and standing in the store aisles digging through the messy envelope, LOL
I really like the idea of the 4 X 6 photo album. It’s organized yet small enough to carry in a large purse or tote bag.
I love this site, I have learned so much. I was at WalMart the other day and saw a woman at the checkout with a binder of coupons. I thought, one of these that will be me!
Thank you all for the great ideas!
Carol
Olga
I use the hybrid method. I file my inserts by date in an accordion file binder with tab for each section on with the date and the types of inserts and their quantity (i.e. 10/23 SS/RP x 5) . The binder has 13 sections so I use the back section to store all my ECB / +UP rewards and the rest I use for inserts and just dispose of old inserts when there is no space for new one (and clip any coupons that haven’t expired yet). Any loose coupons I put into my binder that is categorized by alphabet. i.e. by the name of the brand. This works great for me but the only downside all my trips have to be pre-planned as I only take the coupons I need with me to the store.
Brittany
Hi Stephanie-
I am new to the couponing and have been researching different methods of organizing and i came across a few that I like; I wasn’t sure if you knew a lot about people using a 3-ring binder and plastic CD sleeves I couldn’t figure it out how to make one and I was wondering if you knew how. I saw a video that someone uses a makeup bag and has colorful envelops for all her categories. I also watched a video where some had 3 binders: 1 for “Food/Drinks” Items 1 for “Non-Food” Items and the last binder for the stores she shops at and I was just curious if that was a good method or keep everything in one binder is better.
Hope you could give me some good tips on which method is best to start of with.
Thanks!
~Brittany
Stephanie
I think the 3 binders idea is probably for hyper-organized folks. I just don’t think I could keep up with all that! I think pick a method based on your personality and you will do fine.
Denise Horne
This are good couponing ideas will try.
Coupon Clipper
I like being able to visually scan coupons by category. So the binders have been working for me. The only problem is that it is very labor intensive to cut multiple copies of each insert and file them. I’ve tried leaving the inserts in tact, but that just drove me crazy. If you are interested in taking a one question poll on this subject, visit my blog. Feel free to leave a direct link to your favorite blog or website article about coupon organization.
Dawn
I have tried several different methods including the envelopes and have found that the binder method works best for me.
It makes it easy to find and match up coupons when making my list and also when i am in the store and want to see if I have a coupon for something I cn flip to it in like five seconds.
The envelope method will work for someone who only has coupons from one paper and does not clip from several different papers. Once you collect a good amount of coupons the envelopes can start to fail. Just a word to the wise. Happy Couponing!
Anna
I used a zippered cd holder for clipped coupons. They come with 15 double-sided plastic holders so its perfect for each sub-category. Plus since they were given to me for free, its even better!!!. I have different colors for each main catergory. I carry them in a tote-bag in the car.
Stephanie
Free is always great!
Kris
I use a 4×6 photo album that has 100 slots for photos. I like this because I can carry it in my purse and it’s really easy to fan the pages to find the coupon I’m looking for. I group some of the common coupons into one slot…like shampoos, deodorants, etc. and put the ones that are expiring on the top. I also use the little post it tabs to color code when they will be expiring (i.e. pink=beginning of the month, blue=mid month, yellow=end of month). The ony problem is that the printable coupons hang out of the top a little.
Carole
I use the binder method with baseball card holders. It has dividers that seperate categories. The food half actually follows the layout of the store that I shop at most. (If they ever remodel, I’ll be in trouble!) Also, it has an expanding file on the front cover. I use it to hold sale ads and store flyers with coupons, or my list, and sadly, some inserts I haven’t clipped yet.
I generally only shop with a list so I keep it in a small tote so when I am heading to the store, I just put my wallet in that bag and go. Other than the time I spend clipping, I wouldn’t trade my binder for the world.
angie
I am getting ready to create my binder and I am so excited. I have a question, may be silly, but has been bothering me. I have the 9 pocket baseball card sleeves. Do you put your like coupons, for example, Dove Bodywash, in one slot, or do you just put all bodwash coupons in one slot? Thank you so much!
Stephanie
I personally put like coupons in each slot. So, I would have Dove body wash in 1, Softsoap body wash in another, and so on.
Lisa
I use envelopes and cut off the tops so they are more like pockets. I label each envelope with a sharpie (Make-up, Body wash, etc.) then I put them in an accordion folder (redwell) which is basically like an expando file. I put this file in a tote bag and keep it in my car. I also keep my ads in the tote bag with my coupons along with a pair of scissors and a box of paperclips. I have a separate coupon organizer for each store I visit regularly, e.g. CVS. For each trip to the store I go through the ad and pull coupons from my pockets and transfer them to my Store coupon organizer. I cut my coupons during my lunch break at work and my kids help me once a week go through my pockets to trash any expired coupons to keep the couponchaos away. Sorry if this is TMI. 🙂
Stephanie
Wow, sounds like you have a great system going!
Penny
thank you my problems are solved I was already doing 95% of this but using paper clips and keeping them in abc order envelopes I see the light bulb!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
Meagan
You’re welcome!
Roxanna Garcia
I use a three ring 1 inch binder with baseball card slot still trying to get used to it before I used an accordian style folder and now I heard about putting them in envelopes and keeping them in a makeup bag.
Stephanie
Keeping them in a makeup bag – how interesting!
Joy
I’ve been putting them in baggies by category each week, then taking out only the ones I plan to use per trip and putting them in a makeup bag. I don’t want to bring a giant binder around with me at the store–I’m already bringing two small children and a giant diaper bag (I know some of ya’ll have more kids, too).